Dirigible lamp holder



E. S. PARMENTER DIRIGIBLE LAMP HOLDER Filed May 16, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet1 X J llivENToR ATTORNEY E. S. PARMENTER DIRIGIBLE LAMP HOLDER Oct.6,1925."

Fi led May 16, 1923' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 6,1925.

UNITED STATES 1,555,874 PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD s. PARMENTER, or LoNeMEAnow, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR o RAY E.

PARMENTER, or LONGMEADOW, MASSAGHUSETTS..

DIRIGIBLE LAMP HOLDER.

Application filed May 16, 1923. Serial No. 639,422.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. PARMEN- TER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Longmeadow, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in DirigibleLamp Holders, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to improvements in dirigible holders for lampsand the like.

The invention finds one advantageous use, in connection withautomobiles, as a means for supporting a spot light in outboard fashionat such a distance from the side of the car as to be effective forillumination to the rear, as well as forwardly, and for directing andcontrolling the spotlight from the drivers seat. The invention isespecially useful for closed cars in that it permits complete control ofthe spotlight from within the car.

The invention has for an object to provide in a device of the typedescribed im proved means for swinging the lamp holder in bothhorizontal and vertical planes.

The invention has for another object to provide means whereby the lampholder can be locked from within the car in any of the various positionsto which it may be moved.

Another object of the invention relates to the mounting of the lampholder for rotative movement by means of an endless flexible member. Thelamp holder and said member are located on opposite sides of the bearingin which the lamp holder shaft is mounted and the tension of said memberexerts a lateral pull on the shaft tending to rapidly wear the bearingand making the shaft unnecessarily hard to turn. This mounting featureof the invention is characterized by the provision of a resilientlyactuated plunger which rides on the shaft, or a disk applied thereto.and equalizes the pull of said endless member.

According to another obiect of the invention the disk and resilientlyactuated plunger constitute part of the electrical connections to thespotlight.

Other objects of the invention relate to improvements in the particularconstruction and arrangement of parts and will more particularly appearin the following description and in the illustrative embodiment of theinvention in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is arearelevational view of 3. dirigible lamp holder embodying theinventioncertain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary bottom view of one end thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the other end of the device;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 4tt of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the rotatable tube by means ofwhich the lamp holder is moved in a vertical plane; and

Fig. 6 is a small scale top plan view showing the lamp holder as appliedto the corner post of a closed car. I 1

Referring to these drawings :the spot light proper may be of anysuitable type and generally includes an electric lamp but a lampof anyother kind may be used in its place if desired. Forthe purposes ofillustration, I have shown a casing a having a lens I) and, within theenclosure thus afforded, the usual lamp and socket is provided. Aportion of the socket is shown at 0 and protruding therefrom is theusual spring pressed plunger d which forms the central contact for thelamp. The other contact of the lamp is grounded in the usual fashion byconnection to the metallic casing a, one end of which fits into anopening in an elbow-shaped lam holder 10 and is suitably clampedtherein, as by a 7 set screw 11. r

The elbow-shaped lamp holder 10 has an opening at right angles to theopening described for the purpose of receiving a shaft, which is acomposite member consisting of an outer metallic Wearing portion in theshape of a sleeve 12 and an inner insulating core13 driven into thesleeve and this shaft is fixed to holder 10 in any suitable way, as bythe set screw 14. The shaft described extends through a bearing providedin the upper wall of a hollow bell like casing 15 and extends beyondsuch wall for the purpose of receiving a sprocket 16 and, beyond thesprocket. a commutator disk 17.

The metallic portion 12 of the shaft is cut away below the sprocket,leaving merely the non-conducting portion 13 thereof, to the endof'which the disk 17 is secured by a screw 18 which is threaded axiallyinto the part 13. Fixed in the upper end of the latter, as

by a driving fit, and disposed axial'ly'and in line with screw 18, isthe outer sleeve--19 of a standard spring plunger device-,suehas iscustomarily used inconnection withlamp sockets,the plunger of thisdevice-be ing indicated at 20. i The part 19 projects above the upperend of member 13, and far enough into the elbow shaped lamp holder 1.0so that it will be engaged by the spring pressed plunger d, thus makingelectrical connection therewith. The spring pressed thus insured to disk17.

plunger 20 is engaged and moved upwardly to some extent, when screw 18is applied in place, so that a good electrical connection is A thirdspring pressed plunger device is mounted in the casing 15 with its axisat right angles to that of disk 18. The sleeve portion 21 of this deviceis driven into a sleeve 22 of insulating material and the latter issuitably clamped in casing 15, as by a set screw 23 (Fig. 2), and theplunger portion 24 rides on the periphery of disk 17. A wire 25 iselectrically connected to the outer end of sleeve 21 and extends intothe interior of i the body of the automobile as indicated in Fig. 6, andis adapted for connection to the electricalfsystem' thereof. The otherconnection to the electrical system is made through the various metallicportions of the device, described and to be described -a necessarily thetension of this chain exerts a lateral pull on the, lamp holder shaftwhich tends to cause the latter tobind in its bearing andcause rapidwear. To offset this action and equalize the pull on the shaft, thespring pressed plunger 24 is so disposed as to exert a force onthe'shaft in adirection opposite to that exerted by chain 26-. Tofurther free the parts from unnecessary friction, athrust washer 27 isinserted between the lower face of holder 10 and the upper face ofcasing 15. A light spring 28 acts between theinner face'of the upperwall of casing 15 and sprocket 1'6 to yieldingly hold thejlamp holdershaft from upward axial displacements, such as might be caused byvibrations setup by the automobile.

The casing-"15 is supported by atubular arm 30 to one end, of whichit issuitably fixed, as bya set screw 31. 'Theouter end of arm. 30 isrotatably mounted in a side wall of a second hollow bell like casing 32.The latter is provided with a bracket 33 having upper and lower arms 34and 35 respectively for attachment to the automobile,

asto the corner post p, shown in Fig. 6.

The arms 34 and 35 abut the outer face of post 29 and a plate 36 (Figs.1 and 3) is applied to the inner face of the post. Plate 36 has fixedtherein. two exteriorly threaded tubes 3? which pass through post p, andthrough the extremities of arms 34 and 35. Nuts 38' applied to tubes 37serve to clamp themembers 33 and 36 together. The wire 25, heretoforedescribed, is led into the interior of the automobile through the uppertube 37, having been previously passed through an eye 39 formed oncasing 32.

The casing 32 also has mounted in its side wall a shaft 40 which isdisposed at right angles to tube 30 and carries a sprocket 41, suitablyfixed thereto. The sprocket 41 receives and drives the described chain26, which passes through tube 30. The shaft 40 extends centrally throughbracket 33 and plate 36, and on its outer end carries a knob 42, wherebyit may conveniently be turned to rotate the lamp holder in a horizontalplane. V any of' the various positions to which it may be moved by a setscrew 43 v 1 The tube 30 has an integral extension 45 which is bent atright angles to the axis of the tube to form an operating arm and thisarm extends downwardly out of casing 32 and to a substantial distancetherebelow, as shown in Fig. Slidably mounted" in the lower tube 37 is arod 46 which is provided with a right angular extension 47 engaged in aslot 48 formed in arm 45. The end of extension 47 is threaded to receivea nut 49 which lie'sad'jacent one side of arm 45 and in the other'side asuitable shoulder isformed The lamp holder may be locked in" ontheextension, as by a washer 5O soldered I in place The rod 46 has anoperating knob 51 whereby it can be pushed and pulled to swing tube 30in its bearing in casing 32 and thus swing the casing 15 and lamp holder10in a vertical plane. A. set screw 52, threaded into: plate- 36,provides means for locking the lamp holder in any position to which itmay be moved by rod 46.

The casing 32 may be slotted, as at 54, to extend the range of movementof arm 45 and the opening in the lower face of the casing may besubstantially closed by a disk 55 which is frictionally held in place.Similarl'y,the lower and open face of casing 15 may be entirely closedby a circular disk 56. I p V The adja-centends of casings l5 and 32,which receive tube 30, are shouldered down to; receive a longitudinallysplit tube '57" which concealstube 30 and improves the appearanceof thedevice by providing: what appears to be a tube of uniform diameterbetween the bell-like portions of casings 15 end 32. The ends of tube 57abut shoullders 58 on the latter and serve to axially space the casingsand prevent movement of the one toward the other. Separation of the twocasings is prevented by chain 26 and also by the abutment of arm 45 withcasing 32.

In operation, the lamp holder is normally located in such a positionthat plunger 24: engages with the insulating insert 26, whereby thespotlight is not illuminated. When the latter is to be used, the knob 42is turned to point the spotlight in the clesired direction, so far asmovement in a horizontal plane is concerned, and as the spotlight isturned it is automatically illuminated. The described movement, which ismore frequently used and which is usually more extensive in range thanthat effected by pulling or pushing rod 46, may be rapidly effected in avery convenient manner. The vertical adjustment of the spotlight istheneffected by operating rod 46. Both operating members can be locked inany position which they may assume and this, as well as the movements ofthe spot light, can be quickly and conveniently accomplished from withinthe car.

The invention has been disclosed herein, in an embodiment at presentpreferred, for illustrative purposes but the scope of the invention isdefined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

that I claim is 1. In combination, a supporting bracket including ahollow casing open at its lower end, a tube rotatably mounted in saidbracket and extending outwardly therefrom, an arm on said tube extendingout of said casing through said open end, a slidable rod 'operativelyengaged with said arm and adapted to swing said tube relatively to saidbracket, a second hollow casing fixed to said tube, a lamp holderrotatably mounted in the second casing, and means including an endlessflexible member extending through said tube for rotating the lampholder.

2. In a dirigible lamp holder, a hollow casing having a single bearingprovided in one wall thereof, a shaft mounted in said bearing andprojecting from opposite ends thereof, a lamp holder mounted on one endof the shaft outside the casing, an endless flexible driving memberconnecting with the shaft on the opposite side of said bearing, andspring means acting on the free end of the shaft in a direction oppositeto the pull of said chain.

3. In a dirigible lamp holder, a hollow casing having a bearing providedin one wall thereof, a shaft mounted in said bearing and projecting fromopposite ends thereof, a lamp holder mounted on one end of the shaftoutside the casing, an endless flexible driving member connecting withthe shaft on the opposite side of said bearing, and a spring pressedplunger mounted in said casing and acting on the shaft in a directionopposite to the pull of said chain.

4. In a dirigible lamp holder, a hollow casing having a bearing providedin one wall thereof, a shaft mounted in said bearing and projecting fromopposite ends thereof, a lamp holder mounted on one end of the shaftoutside the casing, an endless flexible driving member connecting withthe shafton the opposite side of said bearing, a commutator disk mountedon said shaft, electrical connections from the latter to the lamp holderincluding a part passing through said shaft, and a spring pressedplunger riding on the periphery of said disk and serving to balance thepull exerted on the shaft by said chain and serving also as a link inthe electrical circuit to said lamp holder.

5. In a dirigible lamp holder, a hollow casing provided in one wall witha bearing, a shaft rotatably mounted in the latter, a lamp holder fixedto said shaft outside the casing, driving means for said shaft, thelatter having at least its central portion constructed of insulatingmaterial, an axial opening provided in said portion, a commutator diskmounted on the latter, a spring pressed plunger device including asleeve fixed in the upper end of said opening and projecting outwardlytherefrom to serve as a contact for the lamp holder and a yieldableplunger portion free to move in said opening, and a screw serving tohold said disk in place and engaging with said plunger to electricallyconnect the latter with said disk.

6. In a dirigible lamp holder for an automobile, a casing having abearing provided in its upper wall, a shaft mounted in said bearing, alamp holder fixed to said shaft outside the casing, a thrust washerinterposed between said holder and the casing, a sprocket fixed to saidshaft within the easing, a spring encircling said shaft and actingbetween said casing and sprocket to lightly hold the holder to thecasing and prevent axially upward movements of said shaft undervibration of the automobile, endless flexible driving means engagingwith said sprocket, and'means acting on the shaft to compensate for thepull of said driving means.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

EDWARD S. PARMENTER.

